Shi Heng stood beside her and unconsciously reached out to tidy up the hair around her ears.
This subconscious act of intimacy brought out a good-natured laugh.
"What a talented couple!" Chef Zhang, who was in charge of the cooking, said cheerfully, "When will you have a baby and bring it back for us to see?"
Gu Youran's ears immediately turned red all the way to the roots of her ears.
Shi Heng naturally put his arm around her waist and replied calmly, "I'll definitely treat you all to a full moon celebration when the time comes."
At this time, Nanny Li looked at Mark and the five bodyguards standing beside her curiously, "Who are these..."
Gu Youran quickly introduced: "Mammy, this is Mark who came with us, and his colleagues."
Nanny Li immediately showed a warm smile on her face. "Since you are a friend brought by the maid, let's go to the cafeteria for dinner. Tonight we have braised beef and chicken stewed with potatoes."
Mark nodded politely, "Thank you for your kindness."
Nanny Li turned to Gu Youran and said, "Girl, hurry up. Dean Bai is waiting for you to eat. Don't keep him waiting anxiously."
She waved to Mark and the others again, "Come on, the cafeteria is over here, I'll take you there."
Mark looked at Shi Heng, and Shi Heng nodded to him, "You guys go eat first."
Five bodyguards followed Mark in an orderly manner and walked towards the cafeteria with Li Ma.
The others also dispersed.
Shi Heng and Gu Youran walked along the stone path towards the courtyard where their master lived.
The path was lined with neatly trimmed shrubs and had small stone street lamps every few steps.
It was already dark, and the street lights automatically turned on, illuminating the cobblestone road.
"Master's courtyard is at the very back," Gu Youran said, pointing to the front. "It's the farthest from the main building and the quietest."
Shi Heng held Gu Youran's hand and carefully avoided the occasional raised stone slabs on the road.
After turning a corner, a low wall covered with vines appeared in front of me.
In the middle of the wall is a wooden door with a wooden sign hanging on it with the words "Jingxinju" written in brush.
Shi Heng stopped and said, "This is really well written."
"Master wrote it himself," Gu Youran said proudly. "His calligraphy is really good."
She pushed open the wooden door, and the hinges creaked slightly.
What comes into view is a square courtyard, about half the size of a basketball court.
There is a pomegranate tree planted in the middle of the yard, with a stone table and stone benches under the tree.
"This tree is older than I am," Gu Youran said, touching the rough bark. "When I was little, I often recited my lessons under it."
Shi Heng noticed a chessboard carved on the stone table under the tree, "Master, do you like playing chess?"
"Yeah, Go." Gu Youran nodded. "I used to watch from the side, even though I didn't quite understand it."
On the left side of the yard is a row of flower stands with more than 20 pots of orchids on them, some of which are in bloom and emit a faint fragrance.
On the right is a small vegetable patch where greens, onions and a few tomatoes are grown.
"Master also took care of these?" Shi Heng was a little surprised.
Gu Youran smiled, "Yes, Master said that growing flowers and vegetables can improve one's character."
She took Shi Heng to the house at the end of the yard.
It was a single-story Chinese-style building with green tiles and white walls, and wind chimes hung under the eaves.
The three steps in front of the door were wiped clean, with a pine bonsai pot on each side.
There is a couplet posted on the door frame. The upper line reads "Quietly watch the spring of heaven and earth", the lower line reads "Leisurely watch the sun and moon grow long", and the horizontal scroll reads "Be free and follow your heart".
"Master's life is really full of ritual." Shi Heng commented.
Gu Youran was about to knock on the door when it opened from the inside.
Yun Feiyang came out and said, "I was just about to go look for you. Master said he heard you talking in the yard."
Gu Youran smiled and said, "Master's ears are still so sharp. We just arrived."
Yun Feiyang turned sideways and said, "Come in quickly, Master is waiting for you to eat."
Shi Heng followed Gu Youran into the house.
Yun Feiyang took Gu Youran's coat and hung it up.
"Senior brother is still so worried." Gu Youran joked with a smile, turning to explain to Shi Heng, "He was like this every time I came back."
Yun Feiyang laughed and teased, "Who always leaves their coats lying around? Last time I spent an hour looking for it in the garden."
He said as he led them inside.
The house was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood.
On the wall opposite the door hangs an ink-and-wash landscape painting, and below it is a mahogany table with a bronze incense burner and several thread-bound books.
Shi Heng couldn't help but look at it twice more.
In the painting, a stream flows around a small bridge nearby, smoke rises from the thatched roof behind a large willow tree, and the peach forest in the distance is in full bloom, making it look like a paradise on earth.
In the living room on the left, two cushions embroidered with bamboo leaf patterns are placed on the rattan sofa, which matches the celadon tea set on the coffee table.
The whole house was spotlessly clean, even the ashes in the incense burner were spread evenly.
"The bathroom is over there," Gu Youran pointed to the corridor, "Let's wash our hands first."
Shi Heng noticed that there were several photos hanging on the wall of the corridor, one of which was of a little girl. The girl was holding a book in her hand, and her eyes were narrowed into slits with a smile.
"Is this you?" Shi Heng asked, pointing at the photo.
Gu Youran leaned over to take a look. "Ah, this one! It was my eleventh birthday, and my master took me to the amusement park to take this photo."
After washing my hands, I returned to the restaurant and saw Master and Yun Feiyang already sitting at the table.
"Master," Gu Youran said, taking Shi Heng's arm and introducing him, "This is Shi Heng, my husband."
The old man slowly raised his head, a kind smile on his white-haired face.
Shi Heng's heart skipped a beat.
Although I know that my master is similar to the person in the portrait in the ancient castle, when the real person stands in front of me, the aura of majesty without anger, even the curve of his slightly raised chin is exactly the same as in the painting.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
